A Lagos Special Offences Court has sentenced Mamman Nasir Ali, the son of former PDP chairman Ahmadu Ali, and Christian Taylor, a Sierra Leonean, to 14 years in prison for defrauding Nigeria’s fuel subsidy scheme of ₦2.2 billion.
Justice Mojisola Dada delivered the ruling on Monday, finding both men and their company, Nass Man Oil Services Limited, guilty on 57 amended counts of fraud, forgery, and conspiracy.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the duo of obtaining public funds through forged documents, including a fake “Gasoline Analysis” report for the MT Overseas Limar, presented as issued by Saybolt Concremat.
Court: Convicts Undermined National Subsidy System
Justice Dada ruled that the prosecution’s evidence was “compelling” and proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. She said the defendants not only stole from the state but also “undermined the integrity of Nigeria’s oil subsidy programme.”
The court ordered the forfeiture of assets and accounts tied to the fraud scheme.
Warrants Issued for Two Fugitives
Alongside the sentencing, the court issued arrest warrants for Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul Afeez, two co-defendants still at large.
The EFCC first arraigned the suspects in 2012 on a 49-count charge. The amended charges brought the total to 57, citing violations of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006, and the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The conviction marks a significant win for anti-graft efforts and underscores the widespread abuse of Nigeria’s petroleum subsidy scheme before recent reforms.